Fire In The Sky

I've been thinking a lot lately about violence and hatred.  It's hard not to when it's shoved down your throat every time you turn on the tv and see the news, or browse the interwebs to see the same thing, or open up your social media accounts. Or opening your eyes. It's everywhere.  Even when we try to escape it.  We can't.  It's nearly impossible at this point.

It's equally as hard to not get sucked into participation when all of us are up in arms on both sides of the political spectrum.  But what is happening right now exceeds all things political.  It's just the face of the underlying matter.

There is so much fighting on both sides.  I get it, ok.  I understand that Republicans are upset at the current situation...after all, they have been beat out twice in 2008 and again in 2012.  Completely understandable to be unhappy about the current situation and even upset.  If the tables were turned, I would feel the same way...just like I did when we had GW Bush in office for 2 consecutive terms.  And I will admit, I was outwardly upset and in fact, it caused way too much stress in my life at the time.  I've been pretty content since then because a President that I voted for twice, backed and believed in (which I still back and believe in) has been sitting in office.  I don't agree with all of his decisions, but I still stand behind him.  And he hasn't said or done anything so outright hateful or spiteful to deter me otherwise.

Which brings me to my feelings on the current situation in America.

We have taken hatred to the extreme and I'm afraid there is no turning back if we don't take some sort of stance.  On BOTH sides.

I guess what I don't understand is regardless of whatever your political beliefs, whatever your stance on current affairs, etc....  why don't we all agree on having basic respect for others?  Is that such a far stretch?  Isn't that a universal commonality that links us all?  That SHOULDN'T divide us all?  I hate to sound so simple, but can't it just be that simple after all?

In my opinion (and this is purely my opinion alone), I am pretty unsettled with all of our current political candidates this election.  I am an open liberal (and yes, I do have a good corporate job and have supported and support my family, make good money, work for my own things...you catch my drift) and I tend to side with Democrats on most issues.  Not on ALL issues.  Just because I'm a liberal, don't assume that I am a loaf and want everything given to me and think we should work hard just to give everything we have away.  Because that's not it.  I know the value of working hard and earning my own money and supporting my family and reaching my own goals on my own will.  But I'm also very open minded and believe in helping others, accepting others for who they are regardless,  and have compassion for my fellow Americans as well as any other human beings for that matter (and let's not forget about animals, because frankly I prefer hanging out with animals more than most human beings, but that's neither here nor there).  I have a bleeding heart for certain.

Personally, I think HC is untrustworthy and wish-washy just to get a vote.  I agree with BS's political stances as they mirror a lot of my beliefs, but honestly, there's something about the guy I just don't mesh with, so I'm not backing him either.  On the opposite side, TC seems snaky to me, Kasich and Rubio actually seem like they are fairly level headed (but again, I'm a liberal and I do not agree with a lot of their beliefs....but generally they seem like respectable people and handle themselves in a mature, adult manner).

So then this brings us to Trump.  For months now, I have been watching this mess unfold.  Because it is a mess.  I've honestly tried to reach out to friends and listen to their reasoning for supporting Trump.  I get the exact same answers from those I have asked and from things I've read in comments from Trump supporters.

They go something like this.

"I like what he stands for."
"I like that he says what he feels and doesn't care what anyone else thinks."
"I like that he's not your typical politician."
"I don't necessarily agree with everything he says, but I agree with what he stands for."
"He's what we need to turn around this mess that our government is in."

There are others along this same line, but I don't need to go on, you get the point.

And those arguments alone make sense to me.  I get it.  But why am I never offered anything deeper in reasoning besides the above mentioned comments?

So then there is what he says, what he does and how he acts.  All things that are just ignored by Trump supporters because here's another one "I like Trump because I hate Hillary and Bernie and I will vote for him before I ever vote for those two."

Again, simple human decency.  Isn't this something that should not divide us?

Regardless of what someone says they stand for or believe in and you agree, how can you get behind and support someone who openly has criticized the handicapped, the obese and even instigates becoming violent with anyone who doesn't agree with you?  No matter what political party you are affiliated with.  Ask yourself this question.  Seriously.

Because over the last several weeks, I have mistakenly been involved in some heated discussions regarding this same situation and I get all of the same answer, then when I ask any Trump supporter this one simple question "How can you support someone who openly has criticized the handicapped, the obese and even instigates becoming violent with anyone who doesn't agree with you?", I get crickets.  Literally.  Or they automatically turn it back on me and get mad at me and say they don't have to answer to someone who is so misinformed or my favorite "typical Liberal.  Anytime someone doesn't agree with YOUR beliefs, they are automatically idiots."

Well, no.  I don't think people that disagree with my beliefs are idiots.  I do believe that people that support and defend someone who has openly criticized the less fortunate and invokes violence openly to others...well.  Need I say more? Make sense?  There's a difference.  We are all somewhat brainwashed by simply the media alone, but this is almost cult-ish and truly not far from the Hitler reign.

But I digress.  Because I have had a bit of an epiphany if you will over the past few days as my blood pressure starts to rise as this nightmare continues to unfold that when we (as liberals and democrats) start playing into this man's game, he wins.  Because that's exactly what he wants and that's exactly what his supporters want so although they instigate it, they can turn around and say "SEE, I TOLD YOU.  TYPICAL LIBERALS...NOW WHO ARE THE VIOLENT ONES?"

So I've made a pact with myself.  Although it may in turn keep me from being informed (but really how "informed" are we with the current media), I am temporarily unfollowing all media outlets on my FB and unfollowing any FB friends that post anything encouraging hatred from EITHER party.  I will not watch the news and will refrain from participating in any discussions regarding any politics or active groups against other groups, etc.  Or any 'lives matter' groups, because ALL lives matter.  Not just one specific group.  And stop with the war on cops and the government.  Seriously.  I'm tired of diversity.  I'm tired of the current state of affairs.  And sadly it's come to this, but I am not going to involve myself anymore because my life is too precious and too important and becoming angry and hateful is NOT who I am regardless.  And I'm not going to feed into the darkness anymore.  I will spread my own love and light and share it with others.

Who knows, maybe it will also give me a break from stupid coverages of the Kardashians or any other un-newsworthy crap.

And please...any negative comments will be unread and deleted, so save your breath.  You are on my page and my blog, remember, I am not trolling on anyone else's...this is my avenue to express how I feel.

So I will wrap up this blog post by posting a song. This song keeps popping up in rotation on my ipod and I've been thinking about the lyrics and the meaning behind it intently lately.  I'm pretty sure it's my higher power giving me a sign to pay attention.  Because this song can also be interpreted metaphorically with all of the spoken violence as well.

Fire in the sky outta the blue and into the red depths,
Time for you and I to try to fall asleep in the bed they've made us,
All came crumbling down tears in our eyes as it rained confusion
The whole world has changed

But I don't understand how one can kill a man
In the name of peace, that's ridiculous

They say eye for an eye
So they fire from the sky and they come outta nowhere
Time for you and I to turn on the big screen see what's happening
And as those children die, pawns in the game of collateral damage,
The whole world goes mad.

Standing here on quick sand, the more we fight we sink
And vengeance gives us hope, at least that's what we think,
At least that's what we think.
As we make amends by getting our revenge,
We sort nothing out, just add to the doubt
With God on both sides, if death is justified
Whatever the name, then we're all to blame.

As the spirits fly,
To honor those who have passed,
We got to get along, while the time still lasts
Bury the hatchet deep, so we all can weep
And heal all this pain, so we can live again,
So we can live again

As we make amends by getting our revenge,
We sort nothing out, just add to the doubt
But with God on both sides, if death is justified
Whatever the name, then we're all to blame.
But I don't understand how one can kill a man
In the name peace, that's ridiculous
But I understand that I will defend my family, from both sides of misery.